Richard Thomas (herpetologist)

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Richard Thomas
Born
John Paul Richard Thomas

(1938-05-02) May 2, 1938 (age 86)
Jacksonville, Florida
NationalityAmerican
Alma mater University of South Florida
Louisiana State University
Known for Describing over 60 animal species, including the common coquí
Scientific career
Fields Taxonomy, systematics, herpetology, evolution
Institutions University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus

John Paul Richard Thomas (born 1938) is an American taxonomist and systematist, and retired professor of herpetology and evolution at University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras (San Juan, Puerto Rico). [1] He described several species new to science, mostly amphibians and reptiles, from throughout the Caribbean islands including the common coquí (Eleutherodactlys coqui), [2] the national animal of Puerto Rico. [3]

Contents

Early life and education

Thomas was born in Jacksonville, Florida, USA, on May 2, 1938. [4] At the University of South Florida, Thomas graduated as a Bachelor of Arts in 1969. Later, he went to Louisiana State University and obtained a PhD in 1976. [1] [5]

Research

Thomas' research has focused mostly on amphibians and reptiles, spanning several fields from natural history to systematics and evolution. His studies have yielded descriptions of new species of dwarf geckos ( Sphaerodactylus ), blind snakes (Scolecophidia), [6] [7] and rain frogs ( Eleutherodactylus ). [8] [9]

Taxonomic descriptions

During his career as herpetologist, Thomas has described more than 60 new species. [8] [9] [10] A non-comprehensive list of described new species includes:

Nota bene : A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a different genus.

Eponyms

Richard Thomas is honored in the scientific names of several lizards, namely Liolaemus thomasi [1] , Anolis equestris thomasi Schwartz 1958, [11] Leiocephalus lunatus thomasi Schwartz 1967, [12] and Sphaerodactylus microlepis thomasi Schwartz 1965. [13]

Related Research Articles

<i>Sphaerodactylus</i> Genus of lizards

Sphaerodactylus is a genus of geckos from the Americas that are distinguished from other Gekkota by their small size, by their round, rather than vertical, eye pupils, and by each digit terminating in a single, round adhesive pad or scale, from which their name is derived. All species in this genus are rather small, but two species, S. ariasae and S. parthenopion, are tiny, and – with a snout-vent length of about 1.6 cm (0.63 in) – the smallest reptiles in the world.

<i>Eleutherodactylus</i> Genus of amphibians

Eleutherodactylus is a genus of frogs in the family Eleutherodactylidae. Many of the 200 species of the genus are commonly known as "rain frogs" or "robber frogs", due to their sharp, high-pitched, insect-like calls.

<i>Eleutherodactylus portoricensis</i> Species of amphibian

Eleutherodactylus portoricensis is a frog native to Puerto Rico that belongs to the family Eleutherodactylidae. Its vernacular English names are forest coquí,upland coquí, mountain coquí, and Puerto Rican robber frog. The species’ range spans the Luquillo Mountains of northeastern Puerto Rico and the Cordillera Central, which forms the highland “backbone” of Puerto Rico and includes an eastern extension beginning at the city of Cayey. However, the species is likely extirpated from the western Cordillera Central.

The Virgin Islands coqui is a species of frog in the family Eleutherodactylidae. The species is endemic to the British Virgin Islands and the US Virgin Islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barahona big-scaled sphaero</span> Species of lizard

The Barahona big-scaled sphaero, also known commonly as the Barahona big-scaled geckolet, is a species of lizard in the family Sphaerodactylidae. The species, which is a very small gecko, is endemic to the Dominican Republic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">IUCN Red List endangered species (Animalia)</span>

On 19 August 2018, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 4584 endangered species, subspecies, stocks and subpopulations.

Schwartz's worm snake is a species of snake in the family Typhlopidae. The species is endemic to the Dominican Republic.

The island worm snake is a species of snake in the Typhlopidae family.

Albert Schwartz was an American zoologist who worked extensively with the herpetofauna of Florida and the West Indies, and later with butterflies. One magazine article once dubbed him as one of the "Kings of West Indian Anole Taxonomy".

Ernest Edward Williams was an American herpetologist. He coined the term ecomorph based on his research on anoles.

Sphaerodactylus armasi, also known commonly as the Guantanamo coastal gecko or the Guantanamo least gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Sphaerodactylidae. The species is endemic to Cuba.

The Guantanamo collared sphaero, also known commonly as the Monitongas collared geckolet and Schwartz's dwarf gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Sphaerodactylidae. The species is endemic to Cuba.

Sphaerodactylus storeyae, also known commonly as the Isle of Pines sphaero or the Los Canarreos geckolet, is a small species of gecko, a lizard in the family Sphaerodactylidae. The species is endemic to Isla de la Juventud in Cuba.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore, Maryland: Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 265. ISBN   9781421402277. (Kindle edition). ISBN   978-1-4214-0135-5 (hardcover).
  2. ↑ Thomas, Richard (1966). "New species of Antillean Eleutherodactylus ". Quarterly Journal of the Florida Academy of Sciences. 28 (4): 375–391. JSTOR   24315255.
  3. ↑ "FIELD LISTING :: NATIONAL SYMBOL(S)". Archived from the original on January 3, 2012.
  4. ↑ "John Paul Richard Thomas in the 1940 Census".
  5. ↑ "LSU HISTORICAL DISSERTATIONS AND THESES".
  6. ↑ Thomas, Richard; Hedges, S. Blair (2007). "Eleven new species of snakes of the genus Typhlops (Serpentes: Typhlopidae) from Hispaniola and Cuba". Zootaxa. 1400: 1–26. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.1400.1.1.
  7. ↑ Hedges, S. Blair; Thomas, Richard (2001). "At the lower size limit in Amniote Vertebrates: A new diminutive lizard from the West Indies". Caribbean Journal of Science. 37 (3): 168–173.
  8. 1 2 "The Reptile Database".
  9. 1 2 "Richard Thomas". Wikispecies.
  10. ↑ "AmphibiaWeb".
  11. ↑ Schwartz, Albert (1958). "A New Subspecies of Anolis equestris from Eastern Cuba". Herpetologica. 14 (1): 1–7. ISSN   0018-0831.
  12. ↑ Tulane University.; University, Tulane (1967). Tulane studies in zoology. Vol. v.14 (1967-1968). New Orleans: Tulane University.
  13. ↑ Schwartz, Albert (1965). "A New Subspecies of the Gecko Sphaerodactylus microlepis". Herpetologica. 21 (4): 261–269. ISSN   0018-0831.
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